How does your 7mm-08 shoot?

[PartsMan]

How and what does your 7mm-08 Handi rifle shoot.

I had to send mine in because of bad groups.
Someone asked me if they have to replace the barrel would I want another 7mm-08.
I really do want a 7mm-08 Handi but not if none of them shoot well.

Come on guys make me feel better. I can't sleep at night.

[quickdtoo]

I've only made it to the range once with my 7mm-08, I've had it for over 2yrs , bought the barrel used from Yukon Jim. It showed some promise with the 140gr Fusion ammo, but shooting the 130gr Speer BT didn’t seem to pan out as well as I hoped, 1” was the best I got with it and them, but the worst part was the first round from a cold barrel was always away from the 2nd and 3rd shots which were real close to touching, so I need to work on the forend some, it may be a good candidate for RTV bedding. Before I bought mine, I was impressed with how much others liked theirs, that's why I bought it.

Tim

http://www.gboreloaded.com/forums/index.php/topic,36913.msg208347.html#msg208347

http://www.gboreloaded.com/forums/index.php/topic,48604.msg283080.html#msg283080

http://www.gboreloaded.com/forums/index.php/topic,32769.msg181149.html#msg181149

http://www.gboreloaded.com/forums/index.php/topic,29597.msg161102.html#msg161102

[handi243]

I too had been having problems with mine BUT i think i may have found something the other night i changed the stocks to wood, put a rubber spacer under the forearm screw checked all my screws and then did a trigger job. My load is 45grs of imr4350 accubond 140gr. new winchester brass, Federal Lrp. I just returned from the range here is a pic.

[Jimbo47]

I'm new to posting here on this very informative site, and appreciate all the input that I've used lately when I purchased my Handi in .243.

Like some on here I've also had to tinker with my rifle in order to get a respectable group.

Handi owners, at least those who post here, have raised the bar to what most consider an acceptable group of 1" to 1 1/2" groups at 100 yards.

I'm starting to wonder if maybe that type of group is the exception and not the rule.

In my opinion a fist size group at 100 yards, and a paper plate size group at 200, with an inexpensive rifle like the Handi rifle, should be acceptable for hunting deer size animals using the larger calibers.

Are we expecting too much from this rifle, and pushing it for more than what it was intended?

I guess the question would be, what does the factory consider a good standard acceptable group that one should expect from their rifle?

If anyone knows, or has talked to a factory representative and has presented that question I'd like to know!

[quickdtoo]

Welcome aboard, Jimbo! H&R expects 1½"-2" groups with factory ammo, if it won't do that, they'll fix it so it will. But there are many tips that the owner can do to help that aren't much in the way of time spent. The factory shot my .444 with 3 different factory ammos, all groups were 1½"to  1¾" at 100 yards, and that was right out of production with no break in whatsoever. I've never shot factory ammo out of it, but it has consistently shot all loads that well, and considerably better for most with 3 different bullet weights and styles, and that's out of the box, all I did to it was relieve some forend pressure with a little sanding of the spacer and adding a pressure point, took about 15 minutes, nothing was done to the bore in the way of polishing/lapping. I have 29 complete centerfire H&Rs, with a few custom chamberings included, all will shoot better than what the factory expects, most of em a LOT better. Some do it with factory ammo, although I don't shoot much of it any more since I started handloading a couple years ago.

Tim


http://www.gboreloaded.com/forums/index.php/topic,118881.msg1098392036.html#msg1098392036

http://www.gboreloaded.com/forums/index.php/topic,120494.msg1098403886.html#msg1098403886

http://www.gboreloaded.com/forums/index.php/topic,124487.msg1098436387.html#msg1098436387

[Jimbo47]

Tim:     That 444 is awesome!     Those others are great also, but that 444 is in a class by itself!

Thanks for the reply, as I was wondering what their parameters where when it came to accuracy!

My .243 liked the 95 grain fusion ammo the best, with the Winchester Supreme the worst.

The best I got at the range, was about 1 1/2" inch consistent groups, with a flier now and then, that was my fault and I could call it.

I've got a 7MM-08 that I purchased from the classified section, and I am hoping to use some of your expert advise on fitting the barrel.

Hopefully it will be a good one like that 444 of yours Tim!

Thanks,  Jimbo

[quickdtoo]

Thanks, but that's not the only one I have that shoots like that, the 45-70s, both the BC and both Handis and the 45-120 BC shoot just as well, not with all loads, but for the most part, just about any cast bullet that's sized right for the bore, and the Nosler partition, Hornady RN and Speer FN make one hole 100yd groups. 

My older 243 Ultra Varmint also likes the Federal ammo, both the fusion and the Power Shoks, they both shoot under 1", the Power Shoks shooting about half that.

Another that shoots that way is the 25-06 Ultra, although it has a bit of vertical stringing on 3rd, 4th and 5th shots, but I don't consider more than the first two rounds being important and they're touching or real close always, so I don't mess with it trying to get it to stay together, it's not broke.

Have fun on the fitting, many here have done it for the first time and were very happy with the results, others not wanting to spend the time and energy just sell the barrel and buy another, that DIY stuff isn't for everyone. But the Handiholic support group is always here to help out when ya need it, so don't be afraid to ask.

Read the FAQs and Help sticky, lots of good stuff in there, including barrel fitting info.

Tim

[Jimbo47]

Yep!    Those FAQ's have been visited by me a few times already!

I'm a do it yourself type, but some of that stuff is a little over my head when it gets a little technical, but for the most part it's a lot of just good ole common sense!

I'm more of a hunter, than a bench shooter, and my groups show it most of the time, but I can appreciate a good shooter when I see one, and we owe it to the game we hunt to shoot as accurately as we can!

There is a lot of information on this forum, and I've participated on a few other forums, and this is one of the best, if not "the" best, when it comes to accurate and helpful information.

Keep it coming guys!      Thanks!

[dhnut1973]

I bought my 7mm08 barrel from H&R back in june and have shot about 120 rounds through it and it has given me alot of trouble. My .223 bbl and .357mag shot great but the 7mm08 will not group consistently at 100 yards. I changed scopes and shot at 50 yards, 2 bullet holes touching. Then I shot at 100 yards and it was all over the place. I place the rifle on the rest the same each shot under the hinge pin. From shot to shot it will be 6-8 inches for a 3 shot group at 100 yards. I have tried Winchester PP 140gr, Federal 150gr, Rem Core-lokt 140gr, and Hornady light mag 139gr and nothing seems to work. It does seem to shoot alittle better after the barrel gets hot. I have an o-ring in the forearm and I have both wood and synthetic forearms but it doesnt seem to shoot with either. My other barrels shoot fine with this setup. The crown looks fine as well. Should I contact H&R or is there something else I can try?

[PartsMan]

I called customer service and they said if it won't shoot 2.5" groups at 100yd send it in and we will repair or replace it.

Is there anyone that has a 7mm-08 shooting good with factory ammo?!?!

I spend plenty on ammo to justify reloading, but I don't want to commit the time needed.
I have a family(one year old that I can't play with enough), a job, the family farm and other hobbies too.
Besides they say not to shoot reloads in there rifles.

[oneshotonekill]

My 7-08 barrel did pretty good with Rem 140 corelokt factory ammo it would shoot 1.25-1.5" at 100 yards.  I bought the barrel to be a back up when I am hunting with my 7-08 encore pistol so I was happy with the groups it shot with the corelokt since that was the load I was shooting in the encore.  I haven't tried any other factory loads but I have recently started loading for the encore and I have been checking the handloads in the handi.  It did pretty well with 139 SST over 46 grains of H4350, right around 1" and it seemed to like 120 hornady soft points over H4350 it went sub MOA with a couple powder charges.  I haven't really worked up a load for that barrel and it has less than 100 rounds thru it so it may be capable of much better accuracy than I have seen but it seems to be a 1-1.5 inch barrel at 100 which is fine for what I use it for.

[PartsMan]

My 7-08 barrel did pretty good with Rem 140 corelokt factory ammo it would shoot 1.25-1.5" at 100 yards.

They send me a barrel like that and I'll be one happy hunter.
That would make a 400yd deer rifle!

[MTGlass]

I'm just starting on a "new" 7mm-08 barrel on my daughter's Handi.  The original barrel had a constricted area just ahead of the throat that I could feel with a patch, with slugs and that I could measure with calipers.  I finally gave up after a few hundred rounds and called H&R.  They returned the rifle with a different barrel (and a new .223 barrel too).  H&R included a picture of a test target with hand written notes on it.  The holes look like .22s so I'm guessing the group pictured was about three inches.  The new 7mm barrel slugs out with a slightly tighter and more even bore diameter, ~.285x" across the grooves.  Before shooting I cleaned it with Hoppes, Wipe-Out, Kroil & hot water, then polished with J-B & cleaned again with Kroil, then hot water & lubed with Ballistol while still warm.

I've only put about 50 rounds through it during a fire 1 & clean for 10, then fire 3 & clean for 30...break in, plus a few more.  Groups were erratic, but I was trying different loads.  Three of the loads were 6 shots each of Varget, H-380 & H-4895 in new Win cases & Rem 9.5 primers under 140gr Rem Core Lokts.  All charges were mid-range in published data.  The rest were various charges of H-380 under 145gr Speer SP's.  I do have to seat the bullets deeper to keep them .020" off the lands.  Seems to me OAL was about 2.7".  I don't have my notes with me now.  Short throat?

I will be re-mounting the scope (again) and won't be cleaning it any more to see of fouling it up will help the groups.  I do have an O-ring on the forearm stud & that's all.

The Varget load put two into an inch, four others were strung out diagonally over 4", beginning 4" below the nice two shot group.  Trying to get this thing to shoot has been/is a real PIA!  BTW, scope is only a 3x9 Leupold VX-I.

I haven't even started on the .223 barrel.  I need to find a scope for it.